the weekend + committing to...

happy monday, friends -- as you read this, i am getting ready to head off to work! yes, after a month of freelancing, i'm heading back to an office, and i can't wait. i'm wearing a cute outfit (you know, like, actual pants) and everything.

and i can honestly say that, as we come to the end of january, it was a pretty great month. leaving my job was the best thing to ever happen: a bunch of opportunities opened and continue to open up, i got to take a little trip, i've reconnected with friends and family, and i feel fresh and rested. there's a forward momentum, for sure, and i'm so, so grateful for it. this quote is really ringing true right now:

in the midst of winter, i found there was, within me, an invincible summer.  

(albert camus)

what an awesome feeling -- one i hope you all have felt, as well.

ok, so, before i get all rambly and sappy, here are this week's commitments -- tell me yours, too!

+ doing well at my new job. eeeeeep! though it's a contractor position right now, it's at a company i know and love with people who i've known for years and really love. yay!

+ in that vein, stick to one of my new year's resolutions and dress like a grownup. this includes hair and makeup.

+ work on a detox plan for february. more on this to come tomorrow.

+ embrace tea. i don't know why i have the urge to drink more hot tea -- maybe it's all the blog reading i do, and all the mentions of hot tea i often see, or maybe it's that i found a recipe for an orange-chamomile and lavender honey tea that looks divine. who knows? but yes: embrace tea.

+ jog a few miles a few days this week. yay, exercise. also: pilates every night.

+ find a yummy treat to bake for the super bowl party i'm attending for a bit on sunday.

see you back here tomorrow, everyone -- i hope you have a wonderful, bright monday! xoxo

photo by braedon photography

what are you doing this weekend?

happy saturday, friends! did you have a good week? did you get to sleep in today, or were you up and at 'em bright and early? whatever your plans, i hope they got your weekend off to a great start.

i've been a little all over the place this week, and i have a lot of work to do this weekend before starting a new full-time gig on monday (eek!). it's a full-time contract job for now, but it's also an amazing opportunity with a group of people i know well and love even more, so let's hope it turns official full-time asap! but at any rate, i'm looking forward to getting back into a routine. this past month has been great, but i need a bit more structure.

so anyway, for me the weekend will be filled with proofreading someone's manuscript and a few other work projects, but also catching up with my sarasota friends and working on an exciting little project that another dear friend of mine and i are launching next week -- i can't wait! i'll be sure to show it to you guys when it's ready. other than that, sleep, cuddle-time with oscar, movies, and soup are on the agenda, and i couldn't be happier.

what about you? what are your plans for the weekend?

see you back here monday! xoxo

photo of anthology, a sweet bookstore in scranton, by me.

scenes from scranton.

just two pretty pictures from my travels in pennsylvania, both with a mint-green theme. the first photo is from a fantastic home/apothecary store called lavish that's pretty much a soap lover's heaven. the second is from outrageous, a jewelry shop/bookstore (best of both worlds?). i'm not going to lie, right now i'm wishing i would have taken that necklace (and its birdcage) home...

photos by me

happy monday!

happy monday (evening), friends! as you probably know if you follow me on twitter, i'm in cold, snowy pennsylvania at the moment. please note that it's 70 degrees in florida right now, and when i woke up this morning it was -3 here. hence the ensemble above -- earmuffs and large knitted gloves.

but i am having a wonderful time catching up with family and friends (especially my 90-year-old grandmother -- dad's mom -- who i haven't seen in three years), and i'm getting some work done and pursuing a few opportunities. i think i'll be going home totally refreshed, which is something i desperately needed. so yay for that.

i hope you all are having a fantastic start to your weeks and that you had a wonderful weekend, as well! xoxo

p.s. the usual weekly  "committing to..." post will be back next monday -- i'm committing to that this week! ha!

what are you doing this weekend? (i'm taking a trip to the frigid north!)

happy friday, friends! did you have good weeks?  are you ready for the weekend? do you have big plans, or are you planning on using the next couple of days to relax and unwind? (i don't know about you, but last week was busy for me!)

i'm actually heading up to the northeast this afternoon -- i apparently chose the coldest weekend ever to leave florida, right when the temperatures here decided to finally hover at a beautiful 70 degrees. (i know, i know -- pity me! ha.) but in spite of my severe lack of winter-appropriate clothing, i am excited to see family and friends and hopefully spend at least a little time playing in the snow. 

posting may be light next week, but you can follow me on twitter, if you'd like, and i'll definitely try to pop in and say hi, both here and on your blogs.

wishing you guys a wonderful winter weekend -- see you back here next week! xoxo

lovely photo via